


strange as you are to me

by debacle



Category: Marvel 616, X-Factor (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drabble Collection, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-14
Updated: 2013-01-13
Packaged: 2017-11-25 11:05:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/638226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/debacle/pseuds/debacle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically a collection of Jamie/Layla AU drabbles. That's really it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. noir

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so these are old. My honest intention was to make a cohesive whole out of them, but then I sort of stopped writing them and. Welp. I just kind of felt bad because this is my actual OTP and I really haven't written much fic with them and... I figured I should post what I had. Maybe I'll actually write more of these sometime? Anything is possible. 
> 
> (Not all are shippy, really - in the space one, anyway, Layla's a kid, so. You know.)

The darkness is her friend.

The man is leaning against the wall around the corner – she can barely make out some of his right arm – and it’s easy enough, she’s quiet enough to slink up behind him and slip a gloved hand over his eyes. He’s expecting her, of course, but she startles him anyway. He almost manages to hide it, but she’s pressed up against him too tight to miss the way he jumps.

“Madrox.” The way she smiles around his name is pointless, he can’t see her, but she does it anyway.

“Butterfly,” he says. “You ever gonna tell me your real name?”

She laughs. “You’re the detective, why don’t you figure it out?” When she takes her hand away from his eyes, she takes care to brush her fingers lightly down his cheek, and it’s entirely unnecessary but she can’t help it. He has impeccable bone structure, she has to admit. She takes a slip of paper from between her breasts and presses it against his fingers – he takes hold of it, but she doesn’t let it go, not yet.

“Everything I asked for?” To his credit, he doesn’t turn his head. Eyes front, Mister Madrox, there’s a good boy.

“I’m sure you’ll find this information useful.”

He doesn’t try to tug the paper free. “I probably shouldn’t ask about your sources.”

_You wouldn’t enjoy knowing_ , she thinks.

“So. What is it you want this time, Miss Butterfly?” So carefully casual. It’s a façade, but nowadays, who doesn’t wear a mask? “Money? Diamonds? Got little enough money and no diamonds, but I’ll do my best.”

“Hmm.” She lets go of the paper and turns his face towards hers, pressing her lips to his cheek for a brief moment. “No, not diamonds, I don’t think,” she murmurs into his ear.

He swallows hard enough for her to hear it. “Ma’am, I don’t think I’ll ever know what to do with you.”

Again, she laughs, soft and low.

“I know.”


	2. space

“Who’s the kid?” The man called Rictor is giving Layla a very suspicious look, arms folded across his chest. Layla just smiles at him, aware it probably looks more sinister than innocent. It’s just her vibe, she figures, nothing much she can do about it.

Madrox, the captain, rubs the back of his neck and sighs, a beat too long for casual. “She’s, uh.”

“Layla Miller,” Layla says, holding out her hand. Rictor scowls at it.

“She payin’? Where’s she headed?”

“Who’s the captain here?” Madrox adjusts his posture, assuming what is probably supposed to be a position reflecting his authority. It’s not incredibly successful. “Don’t worry about it, ‘kay?”

“You don’t really inspire confidence, do ya?” Rictor rolls his eyes, throws his hands up over his head. “Whatever. Your fault if she’s an assassin, or a spy, or, like, a human bomb or somethin’.”

“Yeah, yeah, go back to your cave.”

Rictor’s already walking away. Madrox sighs again and looks at Layla. “Sorry,” he says.

“S’okay,” she replies cheerfully. She finds herself drawn to a set of huge windows – they’re already out in open space and the view is astonishing.

“What was I supposed to say?” the captain continues. “‘Remember the last time we were on Earth? This kid gave me some cryptic warning that ended up saving our asses, and when we came back, she was there again and asked for passage, and I said  _yeah, we can use all the help we can get_ ,  _even if that help’s a nine-year-old girl_. Also, she’s paying in more cryptic possibly precognitive wisdom, and she said her destination is  _I’ll know when I get there_.’ Yeah, that’d go over well.”

“Thirteen.”

“Huh?”

“I’m thirteen, not nine.”

Madrox shrugs. The two of them stand side-by-side looking out the window at the vast almost-emptiness, the field of stars. “It’s something, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Layla’s never been off-planet before, and even she’s impressed, but there’s a sadness nagging at her. “Kind of hard to appreciate though.”

“Why’s that?”

“‘Cause – okay, look.” Layla points in what she thinks is the right direction. “There’s a star out there, and one of its orbiting planets is just starting to develop life. Nothing but single-celled organisms yet, but it’s a step in the right direction. There’s a lot of promise there.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Layla can see Madrox watching her, but she keeps her eyes on the stars.

“In ten years or so, one of the worlds is going to be testing interstellar weapons and bomb that whole star system – there will be a rule in place, you know, not to shoot these things at systems with life, but they won’t know. The planet will be completely destroyed. All that life, extinguished. You know how rare life is, even with all the populated planets we know of?”

It shouldn’t be so upsetting, but there are tears welling up in Layla’s eyes. She rubs them away quickly.

“Uh. Yeah, I can see how that’d be a downer.” Madrox puts his hand on Layla’s shoulder and squeezes. It’s an awkward gesture of comfort, but she appreciates it all the same.

“Yeah, well, y’know.” Layla stiffens her shoulders. “I’m used to it. Anyway, I’ve had worse company.”

“That’s the best compliment I’ve gotten in a while,” Madrox says. “Not sure what that says about me.”

Layla sniffs and smiles a little. Knowing stuff’s a burden, but not all of the future is suffering and death. She’ll make sure the good parts happen. That’s what she does.


End file.
